Castra (CCW)
A savvy socialist city-state that has been steadily gaining in wealth, power, and territory since it seceded from Great Caltania 200 years ago. Ruled by a Labour Council and supported by wealthy financiers and some of the most ingenious mages of the age, Castra is young, vibrant, and always fighting above its weight class. Although this tendency to bite off more than it can chew could be its downfall. One of the five Celthestan States and a major cultural zone of Celtheste.__FORCETOC__ Castra City The Old Capital, City of Spires, Seat of Kings and Exiles, the Crown Havens (Archaic) Diverse, progressive, cosmopolitan, Castra strives to be at the forefront of everything; pioneering and using the latest technologies, patronizing bold new artists, and competing on the world market. Yet there is a strong sense of tradition and history here as well. Castra was once the capital of the First Kingdom and was later rebuilt as a seat for the Dalcerannean Emperors. Breathtaking palaces along the heights of an eon-old valley fortress—a wonder, shaped by the immortals themselves, that encircles a magically sourced river and the dense central districts on its banks: red lights and scholars, a Sayrhoul slum, the iconic spires and arches calling back to the mythology of the First Kingdom. Outside the valley stand the Pharoses, giant stone lighthouses that shelter a neighborhood of refugees, social outcasts, and philosophers. Above, on the northern cliffs, where old money meets new, a district of light and color celebrates the Celthestan ideals of freedom and optimism. The city, Castrians believe, stands for everything Celtheste was meant to be. And in all their sophistication and pride cannot fathom why the rest of Celtheste does not do as they do, exactly as they do it. Central Floodplains The Hazard Plains, Greater Enciara A fertile, heavily contested region, mostly dominated by the defunct kingdom of Encaira/Enchira. The region is often referred to by that name. A truly mixed and constantly shifting place, known for its small, bickering rural communities, weary but defiant people, and shaped by bizarre, capricious spellstorms –the result of thousands of years of divine meddling and magical detritus, collecting and brewing in the area, sometimes in fortunate ways, but mostly to disastrous ends. While this may be somewhat of an exaggeration, it is said that in Encaira, while jewels may rain from the sky one day, the next they will turn to scorpions. Mighal Highlands The Hidden Hills A rugged, beautiful land, with fearsome people and much coveted silver mines. Despite the wealth hidden in the hills, the people live sparsely and spend nothing on pleasure, preferring to ranch and ride as they have for generations. In fact, never mentioning the silver is one of the many unspoken rules and customs that govern everyday life in the highlands. Where does the treasure go? Some into a collective fund, some used in bargaining for their security with powerful interests. The rest disappears…perhaps into the family vaults and cave networks, deep into the dark alongside all the other secrets waiting for their day of reckoning. Category:Cultural Zones CCW